Poll: America’s faith in the feds at record lows

Americans’ trust in the federal government’s ability to solve problems has hit a record low, according to a Gallup poll.

Gallup also found that America’s confidence in the federal government’s ability to handle international problems has fallen to an all-time low, with just 49 percent of respondents said they had a fair amount of trust in the feds.

The poll was taken September 5-8, before Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed confiscating Syrian chemical weapons as a way around war. It was also conducted before President Obama’s speech announcing the delay of congressional votes on missile strikes.

The numbers have dropped significantly since Obama’s first term, when between 57 and 66 percent of Americans had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in federal government’s international capabilities.

People are even less confident in Washington’s capacity for problem-solving at home. The poll also found that just 42 percent have a fair amount of trust in the federal government’s ability to handle domestic problems, also a record low. The previous low was also hit during the Obama administration, back in 2011.

Democrats have largely stayed loyal to the administration, but even they are less confident than in 2009.

Though the poll took place during the Obama administration’s push for a military engagement in Syria, a full 71 percent of Democrats had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the government’s handling of international problems.

Just 42 percent of independents and 35 percent of Republicans felt the same.

Approval for the government’s approach to domestic problems was lower all around, but 58 percent of Democrats are still confident.

While Americans have typically saved the most of their ire at the federal government for Congress, its still-abysmal approval rating has risen to 19 percent during the Syria controversy, according to a separate Gallup poll from last week.

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